Daycare Center Enrollment Guide - For School Year 2022 - 2023 Published in October, 2021
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Daycare Center Enrollment Guide For School Year 2022 - 2023 Published in October, 2021 “FukkunSencho”, TsukubaCity’s Official Mascot Inquiry Childcare Institutions Management Division, Children Services Department, Tsukuba City Hall 1-1-1 Kenkyu-gakuen Tsukuba, Ibaraki, 305-8555 Phone: 029-883-1111 (Extension. 1533, 1553, 1622~1624) 1
Table of Contents ● Daycare Centers: What is Hoikusho? ................................................. 1 ● Approval of Eligibility to Apply for a Daycare Center ....................... 3 ● Application Process ............................................................................. 6 ● Wide Area Enrollment Application .................................................. 13 ● Precautions for Application .............................................................. 15 ● Required Procedures after an Application and Enrollment ........... 19 ● Childcare Fees .................................................................................... 20 ● Q&A (Frequently Asked Questions) ................................................. 24 ● Map of Daycare Centers in Tsukuba City ......................................... 29 ● List of Daycare Centers, etc. ............................................................. 30 2
Daycare Centers: “What are hoiku-sho?” Daycare centers (hoiku-sho) are for children whose parents/guardians cannot take care of them at home during the daytime due to work, illness, or other reasons. Regarding the types of daycare centers, there are Ninka-hoikusho (authorized daycare centers), Nintei-kodomoen (certified centers for early childhood education and care), and small-scale/municipal-level childcare services, which are all referred to as “daycare centers” in this guide. Please note that you cannot enroll your child in a daycare center for the purpose of providing education or experiences among other children, training for school enrollment, or taking care of the child’s younger siblings. Ninka-hoikusho (authorized daycare centers) are operated based on the Child Welfare Law in regards to capacity, the number of staff and size of premises. Tsukuba City accepts applications, authorizes enrollment and collects childcare fees for both public and private authorized daycare centers in the city. Nintei-kodomoen (certified centers for early childhood education and care) are childcare facilities that provide both kindergarten childcare services and daycare center childcare services in the same location. Please note that application for kindergarten childcare services (Approval Category 1) at kodomoen is accepted at the respective facility, while application for daycare center childcare service (Approval Category 2 and 3) at kodomoen is accepted at Tsukuba City Hall. Childcare fees are collected at the respective facility. Regarding small-scale childcare services in Tsukuba City, it is only available on a small scale and each facility accepts children between 0 and 2 and the number of children is less than that of Ninka- hoikusho. The application for small-scale childcare services is accepted at Tsukuba City Hall, though the childcare fee is collected at the respective facility. Eligible Age for Childcare Services Below is a table for class age for 2022. The class is determined by the child’s age as of April 1, 2022. Class Date of birth Maximum period of use (Eligible until starting school)* 0yr April 2, 2021 - Until March 31, 2028 1yr April 2, 2020 – April 1, 2021 Until March 31, 2027 2yrs April 2, 2019 – April 1, 2020 Until March 31, 2026 3yrs April 2, 2018 – April 1, 2019 Until March 31, 2025 4yrs April 2, 2017 – April 1, 2018 Until March 31, 2024 5yrs April 2, 2016 – April 1, 2017 Until March 31, 2023 *Regarding small-scale childcare services, the child can only stay at a facility until the end of a fiscal year in which the child turns 2 years old. 1
Precautions for 2021 Application 1. Please note that nine public daycare centers in the city will be privatized in accordance with the Tsukuba City’s Policy on improving public daycare facilities that do not meet the new earthquake resistance standard. Please see Tsukuba City’s official website about daycare centers for details. 2. Application for daycare centers is accepted online (①) (available for April application only), by post (②), or at the counter in Tsukuba City Hall (③). Please note that April application periods vary depending on each application method. Application method Application period ① Online From Monday, November 1 to Friday, November 26, 2021 ② Send by post Application documents must arrive by Friday, November 26. ③ At the counter Weekdays: From Monday, November 8 to Friday, November 26 Booking required Sunday, November 14, 2021 Time: From 9:00am to 12:00pm, and from 1:00pm to 4:00pm Please apply online or send application by post, if possible, to stop the spread of COVID-19. Booking is NOT required if applying for a daycare center outside Tsukuba City. 3. If you turn down an offer, your application will also be cancelled. You will have to start all over again if you wish to re-apply. 4. If you wish to keep your child at home longer because your parental leave is extended or for other reasons (you will be deducted 20 points), please tick Yes for 1-⑥ of Confirmation Slip for Enrollment in Daycare Center (front). If the request to defer enrollment is permitted after screening, a confirmation letter will be issued. If you no longer wish to defer enrollment, please submit a cancel request for deferring enrollment to the Childcare Institutions Management Division by deadline. 2
Approval of Eligibility to Apply for a Daycare Center Approval of Eligibility to Apply for a Daycare Center: “What is shikyu-nintei?” If you wish to send your child or children to a daycare center or kindergarten under the new scheme, you are required to obtain “Approval of Eligibility to Apply for a Daycare Center (shikyu-nintei)” from Tsukuba City. Daycare Center Application Form includes application for “Approval of Eligibility to Apply for a Daycare Center (shikyu-nintei)”, so you can complete the procedure at the same time. Whether or not your child is accepted at a daycare center, “Proof of Eligibility to Apply for a Daycare Center (shikyu nintei-sho)” will be issued. Approval Details “Approval of Eligibility to Apply for a Daycare Center” covers four sections which are “approval category”, childcare service hours, eligible reasons to apply for childcare, and eligible period to receive childcare service. 1. Approval category is determined by the child’s age and type of facility where the child goes to. Category Types of Childcare Facility Eligible Age 1 Facility intended for early childhood education Kindergarten child who is 3 years old and above From the day before 3rd birthday to the day before 2 starting school Facility intended for daycare services 3 From age 0 to two days before 3rd birthday 2. Reason to apply for a daycare center Reason Approval Period Required Childcare Hours - Parents/Guardians working or taking classes Work Until the child starts school more than 120 hours/month are eligible for standard childcare service hours. - Parents/Guardians working or taking classes less than 120 hours/month are eligible for short-time Study Until the applicant graduates childcare service hours. (One of the parents/guardians’ working hours/class hours, whichever shorter, will be used for the screening process.) Caring for someone Standard childcare service hours with illness, disability Until the day specified in a medical or or other condition certificate issued by a hospital or other Shot-time childcare service hours documents Being ill or disabled From six weeks prior to giving birth (ten Pregnancy or weeks for pregnancy with twins or more) childbirth* to the end of the month when 57th day 3
(eight weeks and one day) from the day of giving birth falls Disaster recovery Until deemed necessary Until the end of parental leave (This Shot-time childcare service hours Parental leave reason is limited to parents who already send their child to a daycare center. Up to three months from the day the Seeking for a job applicant starts job hunting or the applicant’s child starts a daycare center Other conditions such as actual working hours, and pick-up and drop-off time will be taken into consideration. You can send your child to a daycare center during an approval period only. If you are approved for standard childcare service hours, you may opt for short-time childcare service hours. *For pregnancy or childbirth, an approval period is limited. Please see page 3 for details. Important Points to Note 1) “Proof of Eligibility to Apply for a Daycare Center (Shikyu-nitei-sho)” does not guarantee a place at a daycare center. 2) Childcare service hours will be determined after an interview with the daycare center where your child is accepted. 3) If you wish to use childcare services before and/or after the regular childcare hours, it will be considered as “extended childcare service” and you may be charged for extra hours. Please refer to “List of Daycare Centers” (page 29) for each facility’s regular childcare service hours and inquire about the fees at respective facilities. 4) If you work less than 120 hours per month, but wish to be approved for standard childcare service hours (up to 11 hours) for unavoidable reasons (such as starting early in the morning, working till late, or working in shift), inquire at Childcare Institutions Management Division. 5) If you lose or damage “Proof of Eligibility to Apply for a Daycare Center (shikyu-nintei-sho)” within its effective period, ask the Childcare Institutions Management Division to re-issue. 6) Please keep “Proof of Eligibility to Apply for a Daycare Center (shikyu-nintei-sho)” safe and return it in the following cases: When the proof expires or the approved conditions change. When you are no longer eligible for Category 2 or 3 because you do not have reasons to send your child to a daycare center. (In this case, your child has to leave his/her daycare center.) When you move out of Tsukuba City. When the lost proof was found after new proof was issued. 4
Change in Condition 1) Change request for “Approval of Eligibility to Apply for a Daycare Center (shikyu-nintei)” When there are any changes in your approved conditions such as childcare service hours (short time hours or standard hours), reason to apply for a daycare center, or approved period, you are required to notify these changes by submitting a change request. (E.g., Taking maternity/childcare leave, or leaving a job and start job-hunting) In principle, a change request for “Approval of Eligibility to Apply for a Daycare Center”, will be reflected the following month. Please request the change as soon as possible. (If you request a change on first day of the month, they will be valid on the same month.) 2) Required documents for requesting a change (N.B. You need to submit all three documents below.) i. Change request form for “Approval of Eligibility to Apply for a Daycare Center (shikyu- nintei)” The form is available at Childcare Institutions Management Division or at each public daycare center. You can also download the form from Tsukuba City’s official website. ii. Proof of Eligibility to Apply for a Daycare Center (Shikyu nintei-sho) You are required to return your previous shikyu-nintei-sho, as it will be replaced with new proof. If you cannot find it, please inform the Childcare Institutions Management Division. iii. Document to prove that no adults in your household can take care of the child at home during the daytime (Please refer page 8 for details.) If you cannot get this document ready by the end of the month prior to the month in which your approved conditions change, please submit “i” and “ii” in advance and then submit this documentation at a later date. Important points to note 1) Please submit required documents to: Your child’s daycare center. (N.B. Please inform the center that it is a document to be submitted to Tsukuba City Hall.) OR Childcare Institutions Management Division at the City Hall. (Also accepted via post.) (N.B. Please inform your child’s daycare center of the change in advance.) 2) Notify your child’s daycare center in advance, if you wish to change childcare service hours. 3) Notification of change is not required for your older child if your younger child is accepted for April enrollment. 5
Application Process From application to enrollment 1 Apply for Shikyu-nintei and a daycare center 4-1 If the result is “Provisional Admission ・Prepare all required documents (page 8) and apply at (nyusho-naitei 入所内定)”: Childcare Institutions Management Division. ・If your child is accepted at a daycare center, you will receive a ・Apply for daycare centers where your child can definitely go notification of “Provisional Admission”. The admission becomes to once offered a place. Prior visit to daycare centers is not a final after your child has an interview and health check at the must, but strongly recommended. daycare center one month before starting the daycare center. ・Please refer to page 7 for the application period. ・ Based on the report from the daycare center about the interview, “Admission Confirmation (nyusho-shodaku-sho 入所 承諾書)” and “Confirmation of Childcare Fee” will be sent to you. 2 Screening N.B. If accepted for a certain period of time under a specific reason ・We will conduct screening based on application documents such as job-hunting, pregnancy, or childbirth, your child will have and availabilities of daycare centers. to leave the daycare center when this period ends. ・Enrollment is not first-come-first-served basis. 4-2. In the result is “On Hold Notice (nyusho horyu 入所 保留)” 3 Screening results will be sent by post around the 18th ・If NOT offered a place at a daycare center, you will receive an of a month. “On Hold Notice (nyusho horyu 入所保留)”. ・We will send the result of the screening via post (first time only). ・Your application will continue to be valid and assessed every ・The result will be either “Provisional Admission (nyusho-naitei month until March, 2022. 入所内定)” or “On Hold Notice (nyusho-hory 入所保留)”. N.B. If you wish to cancel the application, please submit a ・In principle, we cannot inform screening result over the phone. cancellation request to the Childcare Institutions Management Division by the deadline. For the details of screening process, please refer to “Admission Criteria for Daycare Centers in Tsukuba City” on the official website of Tsukuba City. 1. All applicants are provided with standard points. Extra points may be added or deducted from your standard points depending on your application reasons or other conditions. 2. Children whose parents have higher points will be prioritized. 3. If the total points are the same, the availability of preferred daycare centers will be taken into consideration. 4. If the total points and preferred daycare centers are the same as another family, a priority list will be referred to in order to select children. 5. If all the above conditions are the same as another family, it will be decided by lot. 6
Application Period 1) If you wish to enroll your child to start in April: First Application Application methods Application period ① Online Both online and postal applications are accepted from Monday, November 1 and must arrive by ② By post Friday, November 26, 2021. ③ At the counter of Weekdays: From Monday, November 8 to Friday, November 26, 2021 Tsukuba City Hall Sunday: November 14, 2021 (Appointment required) Time: 9:00-12:00, 13:00-16:00 Where: Staff Training Room, 2nd Floor of Tsukuba City Hall: 1-1-1 Kenkyu-gakuen Tsukuba Notification schedule Screening result is scheduled to be sent around February 7, 2022. Note: Application for daycare centers outside Tsukuba City is accepted at the Childcare Institutions Management Division. (Appointment is NOT required.) Second Application Application methods Application period ① Online Both online and postal applications are accepted from Monday, November 29, 2021 and must ② By post arrive by Thursday, February 10, 2022. ③ At the counter of Weekdays: From Monday, November 29,2021 to Thursday, February 10, 2022 Tsukuba City Hall Time: 8:30-17:15 (Appointment NOT Where: Childcare Institutions Management , 1st Floor of Tsukuba City Hall: 1-1-1 Kenkyu-gakuen required) Tsukuba Notification schedule Screening result is scheduled to be sent around March 7, 2022. 2) If you wish to enroll your child other than April: (Enrolling in the middle of a fiscal year) Preferred Application period Preferred Application period months of months of enrollment enrollment May Monday, February 14 – Friday, April 8 November Friday, September 9 – Tuesday, October 11 June Monday, April 11 – Monday, May 9 December Wednesday, October 12 – Tuesday, November 8 July Tuesday, May 10 – Wednesday, June 8 January Wednesday, November 9 – Thursday, December 8 August Thursday, June 9 – Friday, July 8 February Wednesday, November 9 – Tuesday, January 10 September Monday, July 11 – Monday, August 8 March Wednesday, November 9 – Wednesday, February 8 October Tuesday, August 9 – Thursday, September 8 The latest availabilities of daycare centers will be updated on the first day of a month prior to the month you wish to enroll your child on Tsukuba City’s official website. 7
Required Documents Documents will not be returned for any reasons once submitted, so make a copy of them, if necessary. Please fill out with a pen which cannot be erased. 1) Required documents for all applicants: Required documents Required number Downloadable? *1 1 Application Form for Approval of Eligibility to Apply for a Daycare One per child Yes Center/Enrollment (教育・保育給付認定申請書兼教育・保育施設等利用申込書) 2 Identification documents*2 One per child and Yes (You need to stick a copy of your ID to a separate sheet.) parent/guardian 3 Confirmation Slip for Enrollment in Daycare Center One per child Yes (入所に関する確認表) 4 Document to prove that no adults in your household can take care of One per each Yes the child at home during daytime (保育にあたれない証明書) member of the N.B. Please refer to “Other documents to submit if required” (page 10 onwards). household 5 Checklist for Application (確認事項チェックシート) One per child Yes 6 Survey for Health and Development of the Child One per child Yes *1 You can download Tsukuba City’s official application form from its official website or by scanning the QR code on the front cover of this booklet. *2 Identification documents include documents described in the list below. List 1: Document that clearly shows “My Number”. (A copy of one document listed below.) ① that clearly shows “My Number” List 2: Identification Document A copy of one document listed below: If you cannot provide a document described in the left box, ① Front of “My Number Card” please provide a combination of two documents below: ② Driver’s license or certificate of driving history ⑧ Insurance card ③ Basic Residents’ Registration card with a photo ⑨ Certificate of child-rearing allowance or certificate of ④ Passport special child-rearing allowance ⑤ Physical Disability Certificate, Certification of the ⑩ Pension handbook Psychiatric Disorder, or Rehabilitation Certificate ⑪ Student card (with a photo) ⑥ Residence Card or Special Permanent Resident ⑫ Identification document issued by the central or local Certificate government (with a photo) ⑦ Certificate of qualification issued by the central or local government 8
2) Document to prove that no adults in your household can take care of the child at home during daytime ・Both parents sharing the same livelihood, and grandparents and older siblings living in the same household or under the same address, are required to provide the document of. ・Persons aged over 65 who are not the child’s parents, students, or the child’s uncles/aunts are not required to provide the document as of April 1, 2022. ・Certificates are valid for three months after the application deadline. Please provide certificate(s) which are issued within 3 months prior to the application deadline. The minimum working hours (Credit Hours) for those who apply under the reasons of ①-⑦ are 60 hours per month (more than 4 hours a day and more than 15 days a month). Reason to Apply Required Documents Notes Job Certificate (in employment) ① Employment 就労証明書(就労中)(shuro shomei-sho: shurochu) Job Certificate (in employment) Job certificate should be ② Maternity Leave before/after 就労証明書(就労中)(shuro shomei-sho: shurochu) submitted within one month Childbirth and Childcare Leave after returning to work. Job certificate should be Job Certificate (Scheduled to be employed) submitted within one month ③Scheduled to be employed 就労証明書(採用内定済)(shuro shomei-sho: saiyo-naitei) after your child starts a daycare (Required to submit within one month after enrollment) center. Job Certificate (in employment) 就労証明書(就労中)(shuro shomei-sho: shurochu) ④Being engaged in family AND one from below: business or self-employed ・Notification of Starting Business 開業届(kaigyo-todoke) business ・Copy of Tax Return 確定申告(kakutei-shinkoku) (Both page 1 and 2) N.B. If you are employed in family business, tick a box which indicates that you are an employee of family business. Farmer’s Identification 農業申立書 (nogyo moshitate-sho) (Available for download or at the counter of Child Institutions If the certifier and applicant are ⑤ Farmer Management Division) the same person or a family N.B. If you are working in family farming, fill in your full name in the member (including relatives relevant column of the form. within the third degree of Piecework Certificate 内職証明書 (naishoku shomei sho) kinship), a third person should ⑥Piecework (Available for download or at the counter of Child Institutions be a certifier. Management Division) Certificate of Enrollment issued by university/school 在学証明書 (zaigaku shomei-sho) and Curriculum ⑦Student N.B. - Certificate should contain academic year (grade). Credit hours must be more than N.B. Student of national/public - Home schooling is not eligible, including universities that provide distant 4 hours per day and more than university/ school operated by learning. 15 days per month. educational corporation - National/Public university/school operated by educational corporation only. Report on Nursing Care, etc. 看護等状況申告書(Kangoto-jokyo- ⑧Caring for a sick family shinkoku-sho)AND: member Medical Certificate (Nursing Care) 診断書/介護(shindan-sho/kaigo) OR *2 a copy of Nursing Insurance Certificate 介護保険被保険者証 (kaigo hoken hihoken-sha-sho) 9
A copy of Medical Certificate 診断書(shindan sho), Physical Disability ⑨Being sick or disabled Certificate 身体障害者手帳(shintai shogai-sha techo), Rehabilitation *2 Certificate 療育手帳(ryoiku techo), or Disability Pension Certificate 障害年金証書(shogai nenkin shosho) ⑩Childbirth A copy of Mother and Child Health Handbook(boshi kenko techo) *1 Page that shows parents’ names and expected date of childbirth. ⑪Disaster recovery Documents, etc. that proves the Disaster Victim Certificate 罹災証明書(Risai-shomei-sho) *2 degree of damage. ⑫Risk of abuse, domestic Please consult with Child Institutions Management Division violence Job-Seeking Report (求職活動に関する申立書 kyushoku-katsudo ni ⑬Seeking a job or preparing to kansuru moshitate-sho) start business and cannot take N.B. You must start seeking jobs within 3 months of the day your child care of the child once the job starts going to a daycare center and provide a Job Certificate 就労証明 starts 書, etc., otherwise your child has to leave the daycare center. *1: If the application reason is #⑩, your child can go to a daycare center from 6 weeks prior to giving birth to eight weeks after the birth (more precisely, until the end of the month in which eight weeks and one day after giving birth fall). This is called “Limited-Term Enrollment 期間入所”. If you wish to continue to send your child to the same daycare center after this period, you need to apply for enrollment once again. Example: If the baby is expected to be born on Friday, August 19, 2022, the Approved Period to Receive Childcare Service is from Friday, 8 July which is 6 weeks before giving birth to Monday, 31 October, 2022 which is the last day of the month to which the next day of 8 full weeks after childbirth (Friday, October 14) falls. However, if the baby is not born on the expected delivery date, the enrollment period will be adjusted accordingly. Because the date of leaving a daycare center varies depending on the delivery date, please notify the Childcare Institutions Management Division when the baby is born. *2: For those who apply for reason # ⑧, ⑨, and ⑪, the enrollment period will be determined according to the period of the certificate. If the duration of care, hospitalization, or recovery work from disaster becomes longer than expected, you need to submit the certificate again before the end of approved enrollment period. N.B. If your child is accepted at a daycare center under reason # under a reason other than #⑩, your child must leave the daycare center by the last day of the month in which the day after 8 weeks and one day pass after giving birth. If you wish to continue to send your child to the daycare center, because you are planning to return to work without taking childcare leave, please consult us. N.B. Regarding “document to prove that no adults in your household can take care of the child at home during daytime”, please make a copy of it, if you are applying for more than 2 children. 3) Required documents for persons transferred away from their family, single parents, or foreign nationals (①Required document for applicants, if necessary) 10
Circumstances of parent/guardian Required Documents Transferred outside Ibaraki Prefecture Utility bill or a copy of lease contract which shows your name, otherwise it will not be without family on a job assignment. considered valid. (You do not have to provide this if you are not registered in Tsukuba City.) Living separately from the spouse or One of the following documents: A transcript of the content-certified mail regarding negotiating divorce settlement, though cooperative divorce, the subpoena for mediation date, the Certificate of Divorce Pendency not divorced yet. at Family Court, a certificate of mediation failure, etc. (If you do not provide one of the documents, you are not eligible for points which are given to single-parents.) Household where parents or the child ・If you have a valid residence card: Copies of all the family members’ Residence Cards or are foreign nationals. Residence Certificates (jumin-hyo) ・If you do NOT have a valid residence card: - Copies of all the family members’ Special Permanent Resident Certificate (tokubetsu eijusha shomei-sho 特別永住者証明書), or all the family members’ Residence Certificate (jumin-hyo) - Copies of “Permission to Engage in Activity Other than that Permitted Under the Status of Residence Previously Granted” (shikaku gai katsudo kyoka sho 資格外活動許可証) (You need this permission to work, if your visa status is student or dependent on family. Without the work permit, application for enrollment will not be accepted.) Status change from “wish to defer Application form for canceling the status to defer enrollment (nyusho-horyu-kibo-kaijo-shinsei- enrollment (入所保留)” to “wish to sho 入所保留希望解除申請書) enroll (入所希望)”. (The deducted 20 points will be added.) 4) Required documents for persons who are moving to Tsukuba City (②Required document for applicants, if necessary): Please refer to “Wide Area Enrollment Application” on page 13. 5) Required documents for determining childcare fees, if applicable (③Required document for applicants, if necessary) Childcare fees are determined based on your state of municipal taxation. If either of the conditions described below applies to you, please submit documents accordingly. If documents are incomplete, your eligibility may be affected. If you are not registered as a resident of Tsukuba City at the time of application (including a case where you are transferred away from your family on a job assignment), please provide a document specified below: Persons who apply for enrollment during April-August 2022 “Tax Certificate (kazei shomei-sho) or Tax Exemption and who were not registered as residents of Tsukuba City as Certificate (hi-kazei shomei-sho)” of FY2021 issued at the of January 1, 2021. municipal office of your residence as of January 1, 2021. Persons who apply for enrollment after September 2022 and “Tax Certificate or Tax Exemption Certificate” of FY2022 who are not registered as residents of Tsukuba City as of issued at the municipal office of your residence as of January January 1, 2022. 1, 2022. 11
N.B. If you cannot get a tax certificate because you were outside of Japan or other reasons, please consult the Childcare Institutions Management Division. 6) Required documents for reducing childcare fees, if eligible (④Required document for applicants, if necessary) If you meet the following criteria, you may be eligible for childcare fee discount. If you cannot submit the documents along with application forms, please submit them at a later date before the enrollment day. Depending on your taxation status, you may not be approved of the discount. Please inquire the Childcare Institutions Management Division for further details. 1. If your child (who goes to a daycare center) has a sibling(s) aged under 18 Copy of Residence Certificates of the sibling years old living in a separate household, you may be eligible for Reduction living in a separate household for a family with many children. (Only if you support the sibling financially.) 2. If you receive Child Rearing Allowance or Benefit for Single-parent Copies of recipient certificates Household, you may be eligible for Deduction for a Family in Need. 3. If one of your household members has a disability certificate, you may be Copies of recipient certificates, Special Child eligible for Deduction for a Family in Need”. Rearing Allowance, or Basic Disability Pension 4. Single-parent with no marriage record may be eligible for Deduction for a A copy of a mother or father’s Family Register Deemed Widow(er)”. 5. A parent who is negotiating a divorce settlement may be eligible for A transcript of the content-certified mail on Deduction for Single Parent. (On the condition that parents are living in the demand for divorce by agreement, the separate household, according to Residence Certificates). subpoena for mediation date, the Certificate of Divorce Pendency at Family Court, a certificate of mediation failure, etc. N.B. The discount will be reflected the following month of a month you provided the document or Resident Certificates of you and your spouse have been separated, whichever comes later. 6. If receiving Livelihood Protection, you may be eligible for Deduction for A copy of recipient certificate Families on Livelihood Protection. How to Apply 1) Online application (available for application to start a daycare center in April only) ① Online application using Individual Number Card ("My Number Card”) Please access the website, “Ibaraki Prefecture’s Online Services for Application and Notification (茨城電子申請・届出サービス)”, fill out an online application form after 12
authenticating yourself using an IC card reader or a smartphone compatible with “My Number Card”, and send the form online once completed. Please also send “document to prove that no adults in your household can take care of the child at home during the daytime (保育にあたれ ない証明書)“ indicated in “ 3 1) Required documents for all applicants” as well as “Required documents for applicants, if necessary: ①-④” to Childcare Institutions Management Division by post or bring them in person. The documents must arrive by November 26. ② Online application without using Individual Number Card (“My Number Card”) Please access the website, “Ibaraki Prefecture’s Online Services for Application and Notification (茨城電子申請・届出サービス)”, fill out an online application form, and send the form online once completed. Also, please send a copy of your ID and the “document to prove that no adults in your household can take care of the child at home during the daytime (保育にあたれない証明書)“ described in “ 3 1) Required documents for all applicants” as well as “Required documents for applicants, if necessary: ① - ④” to Childcare Institutions Management Division at the City Hall by post or bring them to the Division in person. The documents must arrive by November 26. 2) Postal application Please send the documents #1-6 described in “3 1) Required documents for all applicants” and “Required documents for applicants, if necessary: ① - ④” to the Childcare Institutions Management Division by post. The documents must arrive by November 26. Please note that the Division does not contact you to confirm about receiving your application. If you wish to receive confirmation, please send it in a traceable way such as registered mail. We will not confirm right away over the phone, either. 3) Application at the Counter Please submit all required documents at the Childcare Institutions Management Division in time for the deadline. Appointment is required for first application period of April enrollment. In principle, we do not take any questions on application or preferred daycare centers when accepting application documents. We recommend that you consult in advance on the phone or at the counter in person. You can also make an appointment with childcare consultants. Wide Area Enrollment Application Persons moving to Tsukuba City 1) Where to apply: At the Division in charge of daycare centers in your current municipality. 2) Required documents: i. Application form and documents required by the municipality where you currently reside. ii. Taxation document to determine childcare fees (Please refer to “5) Required documents for determining childcare fees, if applicable” on page 10.) 13
iii. Document which clearly shows your new home address in Tsukuba (such as a copy of lease agreement, real estate transaction contract) iv. Wide Area Enrolment Confirmation Sheet (Downloadable on the Tsukuba City’s official website.) 3) Important points to note ・Please register as a resident of Tsukuba City by the last day of a month prior to the month you wish to send your child to a daycare center and complete the procedure at Childcare Institutions Management Division in Tsukuba City Hall. ・ If you cannot apply for a daycare center in Tsukuba through the municipality where you currently reside, please consult us. ・ Please allow adequate time for the application, so that you will not miss the deadline. Persons applying for a daycare center in Tsukuba City from outside the city (without moving to Tsukuba City) 1) Where to apply: At the Division in charge of daycare centers in your current municipality. 2) Required documents i. Application form and documents required by the municipality where you currently reside. ii. Wide Area Enrolment Confirmation Sheet (Downloadable from Tsukuba City’s official website.) 3) Important points to note ・The maximum period of enrollment is until the end of March. If you wish to enroll your child for the following year, you are required to apply again for screening process. ・Infants under 1-year-old are not eligible to go to a daycare center in Tsukuba City from outside the city. (Excluding infants whose parent(s) work as a nursery staff, nursery teacher, kindergarten teacher, and nurse working in a licensed daycare center in Tsukuba.) ・ If applying for a daycare center because of work or study, you must fulfill the condition of Tsukuba City which requires minimum work/study hours of 60 hours per month (over 4 hours per day and 15 days per month). Persons applying for a daycare center outside Tsukuba City due to moving out the city 1) Where to apply: Childcare Institutions Managements Division, Tsukuba City Hall 2) Required documents: Please check with the municipality you are going to move to. 3) Important notice: ・ Please make sure to check with your new municipality about required documents and deadline for the application and submit 7 days before the deadline. ・ There may be cases where you have to apply at the division of the municipality where you are moving to. 14
Persons applying for a daycare center outside Tsukuba City without moving out 1) Where to apply: Childcare Institutions Management Division, Tsukuba City Hall 2) Required documents: Required documents of both Tsukuba City and the municipality where the daycare center that you wish to apply is located. 3) Important points to note ・Please check required documents, deadline, and eligible age with the municipality where the daycare center you wish to enroll your child is located and apply 7 days prior to the deadline. ・If your child goes to a Nintei-kodomoen (certified centers for early childhood education and care), and if you wish to change the type of services from kindergarten childcare service (Approval Category 1) to daycare center childcare service (Approval Category 2), you are required to apply for that. Precautions for Application If you wish to enroll your child to start in April 1) If your child is provisionally accepted at a public daycare center, you will receive an offer letter along with “Pre-enrollment Health Checkup Form (入所前乳幼児身体検査票 nyusho mae nyuyoji shintai kensa-hyo)”. Please fill in the form and receive a health checkup at an affiliated medical institution. After the checkup, you and your child will have an interview with staff at the daycare center, based on which the staff will decide whether or not your child is suited for group nursing. If your child is determined as suitable, he/she will be officially offered a place. If your child is provisionally accepted at a private daycare center or other type of daycare center, please follow instructions included in an offer letter, because the procedures depend on each center. 2) If starting in April, your child cannot go through a gradual transition period in March. (This is a period when your child stays a little bit longer each day to get used to a daycare center. Please refer to page 17). 3) If you are returning or starting to work sometime during May, you must apply for an enrollment in May. Even if you are returning or starting to work on May 1, your child is not allowed to go to or start a gradual transition at a daycare center before May 1. This applies for enrollment after June. 4) If you do not apply for a daycare center by the deadline of the second application period, your child cannot start in April. 5) If you are expecting a baby by February 3, 2022 and are going to register your newborn as a resident of Tsukuba City, you can apply for his/her daycare center during the first application period, even if he/she is not born yet. You can apply for a daycare center during the second application period after your baby is born. 15
N.B. If your baby becomes 8-week-old after April 1, he/she will not be accepted on April 1, and will be accepted from the following day of turning 8-week-old. (The same rule applies for other month enrollments.) 6) If documents you submitted by the deadline of the first application period is incomplete or needs to be replaced, please submit them by Friday, December 10, 2021, in time for it to be reflected for the first application screening process. 7) If you wish to change daycare centers that you apply for, please notify us of the change by Friday December 10, 2021. The number of applicants for each daycare center will be updated on Tsukuba City’s official website in the beginning of December. If you applied for a daycare center in Tsukuba City through other municipality, please notify the municipality of the change. 8) If your application reason is “scheduled to be employed”, please submit “Job Certificate (in employment) 就労証明書(就労中)” in April. If your application reason is “childcare leave”, please submit “Job Certificate (in employment) 就労証明書(就労中)” within one month of the day you return to work. If your application reason is “job seeking”, please submit “Job Certificate (in employment) 就労証明書(就労中)” within 3 months from the day your child started a daycare center. 9) Please note that if you wish to apply for a 3-year-old class at an affiliated daycare center with small-scale childcare services (please refer to “Important Points to Note” about “List of Daycare Centers” on Page 19), the daycare center will accommodate a certain number of children from small-scale childcare services and so the actual number of availabilities will be less. Enrollment in General 1) Please apply for daycare centers which you can pick-up and drop-off your child. Although you can apply for daycare centers without a previous visit, it is strongly recommended that you take a look before application. Please inquire respective daycare center to arrange such a visit. 2) If your child is not accepted, you can remain on a waiting list until March next year, so you do not need to apply again. 3) Even if your child is provisionally accepted, it is still possible that the offer is cancelled, if the daycare center concluded your child is not suited for group childcare based on the result of the interview and health checkup. Also, depending on the degree of illness or disability, you may be asked to provide a medical certificate stating that your child is capable of group childcare or you may be asked to wait until the daycare center is ready to accept your child safely. 4) If you apply for a daycare center due to childbirth, you cannot extend the enrollment period by taking childcare leave. 5) If you are on childcare leave for your younger child, you cannot apply for a daycare center for your older child without going back to work. 16
6) Enrollment day is the first day of a month. (If you are on a childcare leave, your child will start a daycare center on the first day of a month in which you start working.) 7) If you wish to apply for different daycare centers, please come to Childcare Institutions Management Division or call us. 8) If you wish to cancel your application, please submit “Cancellation Form for Daycare Center Application (保育施設入所申込取下げ届 hoiku-shisetsu nyusho moshikomi torisage todoke)” by the deadline, which you can download from Tsukuba City’s official website, otherwise you will remain on a waiting list until March 2022 for screening process. 9) If you decide to turn down an offer for a place in a daycare center, please submit “Cancellation Form for Daycare Center Application (保育施設入所申込取下げ届 hoiku-shisetsu nyusho moshikomi torisage todoke)”. By turning down an offer, your application will be automatically cancelled. If you wish be on a waiting list for other daycare centers, you will have to start the application process all over again. Please also note that we will not issue a “On-hold Notice (入 所保留通知 nyusho horyuu tsuuchi)” if you turn down an offer. 10) Please note that if you requested to change daycare centers and the change is approved, your child can no longer stay in the current daycare center, because another application is offered a place. 11) When there are changes in reasons to apply for childcare services or in family conditions after you submitted application form, please submit extra documents required for the change or notify the City Hall. Gradual Transition Period at Daycare Centers (Narashi-hoiku) It is difficult for infants and small children to get used to a new environment immediately. Daycare centers allow “gradual transition period (short-time childcare)” so that they can gradually get used to being separated from their parents, while reducing their mental and physical stress, anxiety, and fear little by little. Your child will go through this gradual transition period for the first five weekdays at public daycare centers, even if he/she went to another daycare center previously. They cannot stay for long hours from the beginning. N.B. “Five days” is a tentative period and can be extended if necessary. First step: For the first three days, please pick up your child aged 0-2 at 10:30 and aged 3-5 at 11:00. Second step: For the next two days, please pick up your child at 12:30. Children with Special Needs Children with special needs are children who may need verbal or physical support (including children with slow development regardless of he/she has a “Rehabilitation Certificate 療育手 17
帳(ryoiku techo)“), and children with illness or disability. Children who need to wear/remove a hearing aid or glasses are also considered as children with special needs. Even if your child does not find it inconvenient at all at home, he/she might need special attention in a group environment at a daycare center. Please note that there may be cases where children with special needs have to wait to start a daycare center, if the daycare center requires some more time to get ready to accept children with special needs. We recommend that you visit daycare centers where you wish to apply for in advance. Also, please tell us about your child as much detail as possible at Childcare Institutions Management Division when you apply for daycare centers. Persons giving birth after their child started a daycare center, and take childcare leave If your older child is in a class between 0 and 2-year-old on the day before your newborn baby turns 1-year-old: Your older child can stay in the daycare center until the last day of the school year (the last day of March) in which your newborn turns one. After that, your older child must leave the daycare center unless you return to work. If your older child is in a class between 3 and 5-year-old class on the day before your newborn baby turns 1-year-old: Your older child can stay regardless of your childcare leave period, as long as you are planning to return to work. If you quit your job, your child must leave the daycare center. The following chart shows how long your older child can stay at his/her daycare center: Your newborn baby’s date of birth: Between April 2, 2021 and April 1, 2022 (Born in FY2021) Your older child’s date of birth Between April 2, 2016 and April After April 2, 2019 (Class for FY2022): 1, 2019 (3-5-year-old- class) (0-2-year-old class) Your old child can stay at his/her Your older child starts school March 31, 2023 daycare center under the reason of parental leave until: Important points to note: 1. You cannot change the daycare center during maternity leave (before and after child birth) and childcare leave. 2. When you take your childcare leave, you must submit a Job Certificate (就労証明書・就労中) that clearly shows the period of the childcare leave. When you return to work, you must submit a Job Certificate that clearly shows the date you return to work. 3. If your child is accepted in a daycare center before and after your childbirth for a limited period of time, you cannot extend the period by taking childcare leave. 18
Required Procedures after an Application and Enrollment Whenever there are the following changes, you must notify the Childcare Institutions Management Division of these changes. Depending on the changes, details of “Approval of Eligibility to Apply for a Daycare Center (shikyu-nintei)”, points for approval, and/or childcare fees may be subject to change. 1) When you change address (moving out of or within Tsukuba City, leaving Japan for more than one month, returning to your home country, change of your phone number, etc.) N.B. If you are moving out of Tsukuba City, please return the “Proof of Eligibility to Apply for a Daycare Center (nintei-sho)” to Tsukuba City Hall before moving out. 2) When you become able to take care of your child at home (such as quitting job, recovered completely from illness, taken childcare leave.) N.B. You may have to return your “Certificate of Approval for Receiving Childcare Service (nintei-sho)” in some cases. 3) When there is a change in your household (such as name change, birth, death, divorce, living separately, remarriage, moving away from family for work, or started to receive social welfare benefits) 4) When work or school conditions change (such as a change in work place, work days/hours, or curriculum) 5) When you wish to change the enrollment period (For example, if you wish to take your child out from a daycare center before his/her enrollment period ends or if you wish to extend the period of daycare services.) Procedures for Leaving a Daycare Center If your child is leaving his/her daycare center, because you no longer need to send him/her there or because you are moving out of Tsukuba City, please submit “Withdrawal Notification (退所届 Taisho-todoke)” (downloadable from Tsukuba City’s official website) to the Childcare Institutions Management Division as soon as you know the day when your child is leaving. Procedures for Changing Daycare Centers You are required to go through the same procedure for changing daycare centers as applying for a daycare center for the first time. Please submit the required documents to the Childcare Institutions Management Division by the deadline. Please note that in general a Job Certificate and other certificates are effective for three months after the issuance date. If there is no change in the certificate and the certificate is still valid, you can submit the copy of the original certificate that you 19
already submitted. Please be sure to cancel the application for changing daycare centers, if you no longer wish to do so. Please also note that your child will have to go through gradual transition period at a new daycare center. If you are on maternity leave or childcare leave, you cannot change daycare centers. However, you may apply to change daycare centers after maternity/childcare leave. N.B. Please submit “Withdrawal Notification (退所届 Taisho-todoke)” to the Childcare Institutions Management Division as soon as possible. Updating Registration In order to confirm that your child still meets the criteria to stay in a daycare center, we will check your current status such as working situation, in November every year. You are required to submit the document to prove that you cannot take care of your child at home again along with “Registration Update Form (現況届 genkyo todoke)”. If your current status does not meet the criteria anymore, or you fail to submit the documents, or the documents prove to be false, your child must leave his/her daycare center. You are also required to submit “Registration Update Form (現況届 genkyo todoke)”, if you wish to change your child’s daycare centers. If planning to apply for “After School Children’s Clubs” for your elder child If you are planning to apply for public after-school Children’s Clubs (including facilities managed by designated administrator), you can submit a copy of the document to prove that you cannot take care of your child at home which you submit when you apply for daycare centers. Please make a copy of the document and keep it with you, if you are thinking of applying for an after-school children’s club. (You cannot use application forms/documents for Children’s Clubs when applying for daycare centers.) Childcare Fees Calculation of Childcare Fees Childcare fees will be calculated based on the total amount of both parents’ income-based municipal taxes. (If the child and/or his/her parents/guardians are dependent on other relative for tax or health insurance tax, or if other relative is the actual head of the household, childcare fees will be calculated based on the total amount of the relative(s)’ per income based municipal taxes.) April to August September to March Calculation Per income based municipal tax for 2021 (Tax based Per income based municipal tax for 2022 (Tax based basis on your income from January to December, 2020) on your income from January to December, 2021) 20
Per income based municipal tax that are used to calculate childcare fees does not include certain tax credits such as a dividend credit, foreign tax credit, special deduction for housing loan, and deduction on donations. If both parents are exempted from tax, childcare fees may be calculated based on the total amount of municipal taxes of relatives such as grandparents. In principle, if someone other than relatives is living with the child, his/her/their municipal taxes will be added when calculating childcare fees. If your child leaves his/her daycare center in the middle of a month, childcare fees will be calculated based on the number of days. Please note that childcare fees will not be deducted even if your child misses a day or days. Payment of childcare fees In principle, childcare fees should be paid by bank transfer. Please submit a bank transfer request form to a designated financial institution after enrollment. Paying by bank transfer will prevent you from missing a payment, so please make payments in this way, where possible. If you choose not to pay by bank transfer, it is possible to pay at any financial institutions or convenience stores using a payment slip. Please be sure to pay by the due date. Note 1: Please inquire the payment procedures at each daycare center, if your child is going to a daycare center which is run by “Nintei-kodomoen (certified centers for early childhood education and care)” or small-scale childcare services. Note 2: It is possible to deduct the childcare fees from the child allowances. Please inquire at the Childcare Institutions Management Division for details. Note 3: Once the fee is determined, you will receive a letter in April notifying you of your childcare fee. There may be cases where the fee changes if the amount of your income increases or decreases. In this case, the new fee will be notified by letter in August and the change will take place in September. If your child is starting a daycare center other than April, a letter to notify the childcare fee will be sent by the end of the month prior to the month your child starts a daycare center. Delinquency in payment Please keep in mind that delinquency in payments makes it difficult to secure fairness for parents/guardians who make payments without any delay, and parents/guardians who are on a waiting list. Furthermore, this can interrupt stable operations at daycare centers. Delinquency in childcare fee payments could result in seizure of properties, including real estate, savings, salary. Childcare fee reduction for parents/guardians with more than 2 children If you have more than 2 children in daycare centers (including public daycare centers), the childcare fee for your second child will be half of your first child and for your third and subsequent children, 21
it will be free of charge. Children enrolled in daycare centers and/or non-licensed daycare facilities (limited to corporate-sponsored childcare facilities) will be included in the number. School School Age Age Age Age Age Age Year Year Not to include children above Year 1 Free Half a fee Free General households Include Third child Second child First child children above Year 1 Households with annual Free Half a fee income under ¥3.6million*1 Include Third child Second child children above First child Year 1 Households eligible for Free Free reduction *2 Third child Second child First child *1 Households with the amount of per income levy of municipal tax is lower than 57,700JPY per year. *2 Single-parent households or households with a disabled person holding a disability certificate (including rehabilitation certificate), and the amount of per income levy of municipal tax is under 77,101JPY per year. Free pre-school education and childcare services Based on the policy to make pre-school education and childcare services free, childcare services for children from 3-year-old to 5-year-old classes are free of charge. Also, households with annual income under 3.6 million JPY or equivalent, as well as households eligible for reduction will not be charged for main/side dishes and snacks for third and subsequent children. Quick reference guide for childcare fees 1) Childcare fees for 3 to 5-year-old classes Cost of childcare fee Free Cost of foods other than staple foods Amount determined by each daycare center (JPY4,500 for public daycare centers) 22
2) Childcare fees for 0 to 2-year-old classes Category details First child Second child Third child Amount of municipal tax, etc. Childcare fees Childcare fees Childcare fees Category by municipal level Category by national level Short-time childcare hrs Short-time childcare hrs Short-time childcare hrs Standard childcare hrs Standard childcare hrs Standard childcare hrs Age limit for siblings per month 1 1 Households on welfare 0 0 0 0 2 2 Households exempted from 0 0 0 0 municipal tax 3 Households exempted from per 9,000 8,800 4,500 4,400 Free of charge regardless of age, amount of income, or hours of childcare service. income levy of municipal tax Single-parent households 3,000 2,900 0 0 3 4 Less than 48,600 12,000 11,700 0 Single-parent households 5,000 4,900 0 0 No age limit 4 5-1 48,600 – 57,699 14,000 13,700 7,000 6,850 Single-parent households 7,000 6,850 0 0 5-2 57,700 – 60,999 14,000 13,700 7,000 6,850 No age limit only for single parent house Single-parent households 7,000 6,850 0 0 6-1 61,000 – 77,100 18,000 17,600 9,000 8,800 holds Single-parent households 9,000 8,800 0 0 6-2 77,101 – 78,999 118,000 17,600 9,000 8,800 7 79,000 – 96,999 21,000 20,600 10,500 10,300 There are restrictions depending 5 8 97,000 – 124,999 28,000 27,500 14,000 13,750 9 125,000–168,999 31,000 30,400 15,500 15,200 Amount of municipal tax 6 10 169,000 – 233,999 40,000 39,300 20,000 19,650 on sibling’s age. 11 234,000 – 300,999 45,000 44,200 22,500 22,100 7 12 301,000 – 398,999 60,000 58,900 30,000 29,450 8 13 397,000 and more 78,000 76,600 39,000 38,300 Childcare fee is calculated based on the total amount of both parents’ municipal taxes (per income levy of municipal tax before applying tax credits). If you fail to file a tax return, childcare fee will be calculated based on the highest amount (Category 13). In addition to childcare fees, there may be extra fees such as daily necessities depending on each facility. For extra fees, please inquire respective facility. The list above is current as of October, 2021 and may be subject to change in the future. 23
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